Hi everyone! I've been browsing through various DD threads, and I've seen that some of you split the DD calories in several small meals and others try to save calories for one "bigger" meal.
I'm still wondering and experimenting what might be better for myself.

What do you prefer and why? And if you tried both variants - is it just a matter of taste or did you notice some effects on weight loss and/or health benefits?

Edit:
I've found an older thread from 2012 with the same question.
But of course I'd be glad about every additional input.

Last edited by Monkeypenny; 02-02-2014 at 06:32 AM..
Reason: found an older thread

I've only been on JUDDD for a week but on my down days I usually have two meals. I'm not much of a breakfast eater anyway so I usually wait until I've been up a while and feel a slight hunger and then I have the first meal. I have a second meal sometime in the evening. Like you, I plan to experiment as I get used to this WOE. But, for now, two meals feels good.

Yes, there's one thing I've already had to learn: Breakfast is definitely NOT an option on DDs.

I usually wait until later in the day to have my first "meal" (about 150 calories) and save the rest for dinner time. But perhaps I could/should (?) endure longer and save all of them for dinner? Would this be better for the good old "JUDDD magic"? I don't know...

I skip breakfast.
Lunch is usually 100-150 calories.
Dinner's usually around 200.

I don't snack, except for broth sometimes.

Seems to be working well for me.

That was when I was losing best. I found it would change over time. Right now I prefer 3 small meals, with lunch being my biggest meal. I'm in maintenance now, so that my be the biggest factor, given that I get more calories and CAN get 3 meals out of them.

Thank you, Dawn!
That bolded part in your answer is the way I'm doing it most of the time. And it's quite easy! So why make it harder (by saving all calories for dinner) if there are no benefits to it (and it seems that there are no real benefits, especially regarding this answer from the older thread). I think I'll stick to two meals...

I used to eat a small meal of turkey or some lean meat w/a pickle spear and a low fat cream cheese wedge at lunch, or something similar--maybe some celery sticks too, then eat the rest of my calories at dinner. After about a year on JUDDD, I could go all day long without food until dinner... I don't think it matters much for weight loss, but some people have trouble stopping eating once they start, plus there's less calories to eat in the evenings if you've already eaten once.

It's very individual and will take some experimenting.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

I get hungry if I start eating so I save all my calories till bedtime except for a cup of coffee or perhaps 2. I have my bedtime snack around 9:30pm or so and have about 100-150 calorie snack. I have been doing this since about my 3rd month on JUDDD so this works well for me.

At first doing JUDDD.
My struggles were huge.
Depended on if the sun was shining, cloudy day, rain or snow day!
I also worked like a mad gal with restoring an old house, mowing, moving back and forth, lots of stress!
Now this time on JUDDD, I'm a total different person in activity -work.
I goof off a lot now a days. That really helps.
And I'm so head strong about losing a few more pounds and keeping them off!
Rain or shine. Good luck

I am the same way as Carly If I eat anything at breakfast I am more hungry through out the day I find saving my meal for dinner time helps me stay full the rest of the evening It is also easier for me because I know I don't need to think of what I am going to eat until dinner So I don't even think about food until dinner time I focus on other things Play around with it you will find what works best for you

It varies for me and I change it around according to my appetite. For most days now I have coffee with HWC for breakfast, small lunch like turkey and pickles and then a small dinner. Other days I have coffee with HWC and then nothing until dinner which is usually some soup. Depends on my time and if I am hungry or not.

I find it hard to wait until "dinner-time" to eat. I do try to put off eating for as long as I can. When I work my late nights (12-9) I eat around 3 or maybe 4. But on days when I am off at 6 I will eat around 1 or 2 because I may not have the time to eat later. When I get home I am fine. I just have to make it past all the goodies at work!

I guess I do eat something small in the morning (100 cals or less). Then the rest (250 or so) at the times mentioned above. I used to eat an apple on the drive to work.

I split my kcals across 2-3 meals on a DD altho' I prefer to reserve a larger chunk of them to share an evening meal with DH. (A 3 meal DD will allow for having to eat an extra snack/meal if I'm out in a kayak and we're instructed to eat by the group leader - it's a hypothermia strategy.)

For a while, I experimented with front loading my DD kcals on a large breakfast and I hated the feeling of having no safety margin (so to speak) to accommodate something unexpected later in the day.

Now, on a DD, I prefer having an MCT-boosted drink for breakfast, an afternoon snack of protein-enriched broth and something like shirataki noodles with some dried tomato, and then dinner with DH. Because I'm in maintenance, I have from 300-850kcals as a possible range for DDs which makes it easier for me to accommodate the unexpected.

__________________
Motto: SINS - Simple Is the New Sustainable

July 2015 A DXA scan shows very low muscle mass (sarcopenia). I currently have a lot of physiotherapy. I may miss questions that people ask me or personals. Apologies if I do, it's not intentional.

I just eat when I'm hungry - which is usually starting around noon after my coffee with H&H in the morning.
I only eat veggie (cabbage) soup, and I eat as often as I want - that might be 4-5 times from noon till around 7 or 8pm. usually (every 2-3 hours)

In that new book the every other day diet she says eat it all as one meal. She also recommends not trying to calculate a figure for DD calories just use 500. One other striking thing she said on page 55 was you would do a lot better letting the 500 calories consist of 45% fat 15% protein and 40% carbs. It seems like doing it this way you lose more fat and gain some muscle.

In that new book the every other day diet she says eat it all as one meal.... One other striking thing she said on page 55 was you would do a lot better letting the 500 calories consist of 45% fat 15% protein and 40% carbs. It seems like doing it this way you lose more fat and gain some muscle.

CaliChris and I discussed this in the Magic Number thread - I believe Varady mis-reported that paper in the book.

__________________
Motto: SINS - Simple Is the New Sustainable

July 2015 A DXA scan shows very low muscle mass (sarcopenia). I currently have a lot of physiotherapy. I may miss questions that people ask me or personals. Apologies if I do, it's not intentional.